Overview
- England’s board kept head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key in post after a 4–1 Ashes defeat in Australia.
- Rob Key said McCullum would arrive in late May, and Michael Vaughan urged an earlier return to watch county cricket and rebuild face-to-face ties.
- The ECB later said no date was set and no travel was booked for McCullum’s return, contradicting Key’s public timeline.
- Key scheduled a meeting with all 18 county directors, with McCullum expected to dial in from New Zealand as counties push for closer links to the Test setup.
- Former captains and some players attacked weak accountability and care in the regime, and local reports said the ECB is now reviewing McCullum’s arrival plan.